Havering Hockey Club chair Emma Isherwood is urging everyone not to underestimate Covid-19 after suffering with it for nine weeks. She is still struggling to get back to full fitness.

Isherwood, who also plays for the club, struggled through a game on the return of hockey and has managed to get finally get back out running again after being ill with the virus.

She has began the Couch to 5k challenge in the hope of building up her lungs as she prepares to return to hockey once it is safe to do so.

“Don’t underestimate it," she said this week. "Some people are very lucky, they don’t get any symptoms or know they’ve had it. Some people get it very lightly, but if you do get it to any degree of seriousness it does knock you.

“I know a lot of people that have had it. A lot of my work colleagues came down with it at the same time, and were really rough and wiped out.

“All had various symptoms and I think that’s the biggest message to get out there, it isn’t just the main symptoms the government talks about.

“In my family within about 10 days of each other, me, my husband and one of my daughters all contracted it - obviously they both got it from me.

“We all started off in a very different way. My husband started with having really strange dreams, and that is something my daughter and I had once we got further along.

“He had really weird dreams on a loop and said something is not right. Then he came down with muscle ache and got tested and was positive.

“Mine started with a cough. My daughter's started with severe joint pain and a temperature. So I think the fact that the symptoms vary is tough.

“There is lots that come with it. In my group work chat, every day someone said 'I've got this today' or 'this' the next day. Backache, loss of smell or taste, temperatures, aches, rashes.

“It affects your body in a much bigger way than those main symptoms.”

Isherwood completed the Couch to 5k challenge earlier in the year and has decided to take on the challenge once again to aid her recovery.

“I did the Couch to 5k in the summer with one of my daughters and I thought It was quite a good way as it’s a very slow build-up but at the same time you have an object and aim to reach.

“It was quite good to do it, so I thought it would be a good idea to do it again now.”

She added: “Also, we don’t know when we’ll be able to get back to things like hockey. I know the rumours are February maybe but we just don’t know.”

Isherwood did manage one match upon her recovery before hockey matches were brought to a halt again with the government restrictions.

“I tried to play for our ladies 2s, but it wasn’t very good and I can only do short burst and my lungs really hurt. They hurt for a day or two afterwards, so I felt I needed to go about it a different way,” Isherwood said.

“It’s been very frustrating, that’s probably quite a good word for it, I can’t say it has been pleasant running but I did it.”

Speaking in terms of the club, the entire year has been a frustrating one with action constantly stopping and starting - which has proved difficult.

They are now looking at ways to keep the players engaged going forward, whether that is by running or walking challenges.

“We were lucky we managed to get a few games in back in September and October, but then it obviously all got stopped again.

“We tried to get in a few more games, but we had various members having to self-isolate, and coming down with it so it made getting games very difficult.

“We’re thinking of ways we can keep the club together for the next little while once the new year starts.

“It’s important to keep people in touch with each other.”